In Love with Being in Love
by Griper
Summary: Selena never really approved of her daughter's love and pursuit of storybook romances. A harsh word saying so leads to an impassioned defense of the Power of Love, and a little better perspective on what Astrid really wants out of life.


As before all credit for the character of Astrid goes back to the excellent art that Jabs posted on his FE blog, give him a look:  
post/141763712055/meet-astrid-she-is-severas-daughter-she-is-a

As a girl, Severa had adored and idolized her mother. And why wouldn't she? When she was growing up, Cordelia was the toast of the land and a celebrated champion. She was strong, intelligent, kind, beautiful... a paragon that all strove to measure up to.

But even in those early years of unembittered admiration-before her training prowess stalled and she grew to resent her mother's unattainable skill, before the war went downhill and she blamed her parents for not coming back-Cordelia had a trait that besmirched her veneer of perfection in the eyes of her little daughter, one character flaw that baffled and dismayed young Severa; her pining for her lord Exalt, Chrom.

She was careful in later years to never let slip her longing in front of other adults, but she took for granted that Severa could not grasp the meaning of her sighs, when the only thing Severa did not comprehend, even after years and years, was the reason why. Why did her mother continue to pine for that man after years and years? Why did her eyes stray from her own family to his? Why did she still feel she could have been happier with him?

Now an independent adult living under a new name, in a new world with new royals and armies, Selena found herself wondering if perhaps lovesickness was just a family trait she was lucky enough to have been skipped over by.

" _Astrid_!" She shouted, startling her daydreaming daughter from her idle fantasies.

"Oh! Land's sakes mother, you could have given me a heart attack!" Astrid grumbled and dusted herself fastidiously.

Selena could only roll her eyes. "Spare me the theatrics. You've been neglecting your training again."

"N-no I haven't," Astrid stammered as she guiltily shoved her little novella back in her satchel, "I've just been supplementing my physical training with some-ah-mental enrichment these last few days."

Oh now that was rich. "Little girl, those bodice rippers you pour over so much aren't even informative enough to learn new bedroom tricks from, so I don't know what 'enrichment' you're gaining from them."

"They're not BODICE RIPPERS!" her daughter shouted defensively, only to immediately slap her hands over her mouth and look around frantically to check that no one else heard them.

"Call them what you want, just read them in your own time. For now pick up your bow and follow me." And with that Selena turned on her heel and stalked towards the training area, her daughter falling into step behind her with a huff.

The two of them stopped in front of the archery targets, and Astrid assumed a shooting stance with natural grace. Selena observed that her bow had been strengthened at the forge and bore a name now, curtesy of Odin no doubt. ( _Cupid's Lead_. Ugh, the pretentious sentimentality of it all.)

Now that she had her head out of the clouds, Astrid was in fine form, hitting mark after mark like she'd been born shooting arrows (in truth she'd only adopted that fighting style in her tweens, after gushing over a story about Sparrow Cowl or whatever such "roguish" rubbish.)

Astrid gave a prim little scoff and turned to her mother, "Well? Good enough to show I'm not going soft?"

"Am I supposed to wait until you have before I make you keep up your exercises?" Selena challenged with a raised brow. She meant no venom behind it though, and Astrid shrugged and surrendered the point.

"I supposed we must all stay sharp, to carry ourselves through to the next day's light," the idealistic archer rambled on, collecting her gear, "High adventure across these lands, a battle of good versus evil, allies and foes at every corner. Oh the tension and drama of it all! One day I will find my prince out there."

Selena had heard such spiels before, and grimaced at them as much as ever. She still couldn't decide if she should be pleased or displeased that Astrid didn't have her heart pinned on any of the other Outrealm children (as far as she knew at least). Did it mean she just preached about story-book love for the sake of her own melodrama? Or was she really just out here on a mission to find a "star-crossed lover" outside of her displaced generation? (In her most disgracefully cynical moments, Selena wondered if Astrid was waiting for a friend to get married to decide she'd loved them all along, and cause a merry little scene of angst for herself, just like her grandmother.)

"You're a grown woman and a soldier Astrid, you shouldn't be waiting for a man to come and make your days happy. There's more to life than finding love." Selena had made that same, or effectively same, statement to her girl more times than she had bothered to keep count.

Astrid stood with her back turned to her mother for a moment, then turned to face Selena, expression cool.

"I'm not Soleil or Nina mother," she began, "I'm not going to prance around camp trying to cajole the army men to play out my fantasies for me, nor am I going to trip over myself to peacock about in front of armed enemies that happen to catch my fancy.

Do I have an unrealistic expectation of romance? Maybe so, at least according to you, but we live in a fantastical world, and I merely wish to lead a fantastical life. I keep my mind and heart open for excitement yes, but I don't sit and try to play the part of damsel in distress in a theater show like you seem to assume."

Astrid paused in her tirade to sweep her hair back, and Selena just stood there, not sure how to respond. Astrid recovered herself first, chuckling.

"And yes mother, I realize that romance isn't all it's chalked up to be, at least not all the time. I know I'll have to work to sustain a relationship with whoever I finally mesh with.

But there is one part where I feel I must speak against you: Life without love is not worth living."

Astrid caught her mother's eye and smiled. "But you forget there's more to love than just the kind between a couple. I have the love of my country and cause, I have the love of my friends, the love of my fellow soldiers when we march together and defend each other." She began to walk towards Selena, "And most of all I have the love of my family. Especially my pessimistic, worrywort mother."

Astrid hugged her mother close, and after a few seconds Selena returned it, arms coming up and encircling her daughter in a loose, hesitant embrace. They stood like that for a long while, then-

"You are absolutely the most histrionic little sap I've ever had to deal with, and I grew up with some _characters_."

Astrid snorted and pushed her mother away, grinning. "And just when I thought I got through to you."

Selena tossed her long twintails, smirking, "Well, I guess I can see were you're coming from now. If overwrought purple-prose conversations and tacky costumes is really what you want out of marriage, well more power to you now I suppose. Just so long as you keep up your combat training mind you."

Astrid tutted, "You insult my standards for literature mother dearest. Let me loan you some reading material, you'll see I have much better-written tales than what you insinuate."

"Keep your smut to yourself sweetie," Selena called over her shoulder as she walked away, "And stop trying to convince me it's highbrow."

Behind her Astrid spluttered, composure obliterated "It _is_ highbrow mother! I don't keep smut in my collection! Mother!? Mother! I will have you know that all of my books are _COMPLETELY TASTEFUL_!"

Selena just laughed.


End file.
